CNN

case...I will tell you why conservatives are against Obama sending more troops to Afghanistan. Obama and Biden and Kerry and Kennedy and Pelosi and Reid and hundreds of other national Democrat party members participated in the rape of the military in Viet Nam by their support of the Marxist North Vietnamese. They also attempted to rape the military by their support of the Jihadists in Iraq. The only reason Obama is sending our troops to Afghanistan now is because he wants to set them up for a loss, a disaster, a failure. He and his comrades in power hate the U.S. military and want it to fail.

The mighty hand of God is the only one to stop all this insanity in the world...and that will happen sooner than one hopes for if people from all countries do not put aside their childish ways and work towards peace.

Simmy.......
Do not talk down to me. My only son served two combat tours in Iraq. He fought a war that you and the Clintons and Democrats created by your treason. If my son has to go back to war because of continuing Democrat party treason and is injured of killed I will hold you and the Manchurian directly responsible as if you or he pulled the trigger yourselves.

Americas seems to be ready to jump on the I hate the president band wagon no matter who he is depending on their political party. Republicans before were the war hawks and got us in this mess and Obama is just trying hard to find an end. Look at statistics before you state untruths.
Please think with you head and not with your knee jerk gut reactions. Good young men lives are depending on this president we chose and the so called christian right needs to be praying for them daily and for our leaders. Signed methodist ministers wife, nurse, former Air Force enlisted, mother, grandmother.

Funny how the "conservative" bloggers are all over the place regarding Obama and Afghanistan...

They are so intrisically programmed to object to every word that comes out of Obama's mouth they war willing to blatantly contradict themselves.

Since when were conservatives against sending more troops to Afgan???

Hey what happened? I thought Obama was going to end all wars within 30 days of his administration!!

You know... I suspect the Repubs are going to just be burned up when Obama does what they could not! I truly think that is their greatest fear... and about half of why they are fighting him so much on the issue! The other half... that's their "just say no" campaign!

Holbrooke is distancing the comparison of Afghanistan to Vietnam, and you broken records are still on the same song..."Bush went to Iraq when there was no need blah, blah, blah".

I know it takes an element of focus, but try to consider the CURRENT discussion, and not your campaign rhetoric for the past eight years.

We need less self righteous know it alls like France Boy who think only in the simplest of terms and more comprehensive and thoughtful folks like the current administration to lead this nation away from self destruction. I know it takes all kinds to make up this great country, but I'm tired of such whiners like this who either don't have any given ability to conduct a critical thought (including critical introspection) or refuse to use their god given intellect for anything but selfish purpose.
Please, give the rest of us at least an 8 year break....it seems only fair don't you think?

At least the monetary cost of war will be in the budget and not kept a secret like the bush administration, where billions of dollars just vanished.

Mccain said he knows how to get Osama bin laden, if it is country first why don't he tell us how to get him. We would save money and lives...

What? I don't believe it. How quickly things can change. It is now the Liberals defending a war. Wow!

Change is coming 21 Jan 2013.

France boy,

First, deal with Bush and Cheney. They are the reasons we went to war. At least we're going to the correct 'location' now. God bless all the efforts of our president, his admin., all our troops and their families!!!

For 8 years we did nothing to go after those who attacked us due to the incompetence of the Bush administration. It just confirms that Bush did nothing for 8 years but destroy our economy and strengthen our enemies.

Afghanistan is and has always been ground-zero for the war on terror. Afghanistan is where 9/11 was launched and where the terorist supporters (Taliban) remain. Unfortunately politicians, media types, and the American people allowed Bush-Cheney lure us into Iraq, but now we have no choice to but finish the job Bush-Cheney left incomplete.

Any person who tries to compare the two have no idea of what they are talking about; all they seem to want to do is create problems that do not exist. This is not president Obama mess it is the mess of Bush and the Republicans who stood by and allow it to go on for so long.

XENIA wrote: "BHO promised to withdraw all troops from Iraq then goes all in in Afghanistan. Not a good thing."
- – - – - –
Dear Xenia; go back and replay President Obama's speeches an interviews and you will see how wrong you are. Obama has always said he would end the ill-conceived Iraq war and finish the righteous war in Afghanistan where 9/11 was launched.

Manhandler said "And where is the direct threat in Afghanistan??? Some old man hiding in a cave on a kidnet dialysis machine?"

The democrats and obamabots are afraid that they will lash Osama Bin Laden's dialysis machine to a North Korean ballistic missle and will be fired at the US and Osama will pee on us all when he flies over. That is the only high value target in either Afghanistan or Pakistan per our president's plan

I agree with Larry - if you take out all the poppy fields in Afghanistan the Taliban, the war lords, and Al Quaeda are all broke. Oil is to Iran as heroin is to Afghanistan. Take away the heroin industry and Afghanistan is a threat to nobody.

The Afghanistan War in response to 9/11 terrorist attack was the only thing and a righteous thing for the U.S to do, especially if the U.S. wants to call itself a nation among nations. The problem is, and it is so ironic, Bush took his eye off the ball too soon and left Afghanistan "unfinished" to finish the Iraq War he claimed his father had not "finished".

One thing that bugs me is the huge number of people that will cheer on a war so long as its easy. Then as soon as it gets tough they say 'why are we there'? When the soldiers started rolling in most of this country was cheering them all the way.

Oh... and the reasoning in some posts here against the war in Afghanistan is because OBL et al are in Pakistan. Sounds to me like they dont have a problem with the war, just that its being fought in the wrong country and we should invade that one instead. However people are correct about learning from history, which is why the mountains havent been invaded.

PK – I have reread your comments a dozen times now. You are a supreme fool. You think like Obama the Manchurian. And that thinking invited 9/11.

To PK in California – Yes, Obama will end these wars, by bringing about a loss by our military in Afghanistan. You Democrats, along with the likes of CNN, John Kerry, Ted Kennedy and other fascist groups worked overtime to make sure we were humilitated in Viet Nam. It was all about making sure the Marxist won. Americans will not allow it to happen this time. The likes of CNN, Obama and Pelosi will be brought to the bar of justice and punished with prison terms for their treachery.

I hope the plan succeeds. What is amazing to me and is being completely ignored is the failure of our allies to maintain a level of control in Afghanistan. We took the international approach in that country that so many screamed about and look at where we are. The fact of the matter is no plan that talks of developing infrastructure and helping the needy can ever begin to succeed without security on the ground. That they put troops on the ground in an attempt to do the right thing is very commendable. But the cold hard facts of what has happened under their watch can't be brushed away.

For those of you comparing the British and Russian failures in Afghanistan, their respective militaries were no match for the the American Solider, Sailor, Airman or Marine. I just retired from the Air Force after 21 years and can tell you there is no comparison to the intelligence, training, and equipment of our men and women that come close. The Taliban and Al Qaeda are a tough well-entrenched enemy. But given all the facts, I know our military has the ability and the know-how to decimate their enemies. I just hope that our commander in chief takes the gloves off and allows the military to do its job.

Obama inherited these wars and he will end them! Because he hasn't pushed the Stop War button, everyone thinks it will go on for ever. NOT SO! Obama is a methodical person and puts a lot of thought into his actions. We are not looking for a WIN. We are looking for these countries to take over and handle their own problems. That's the difference between the last administration's policy and the present's. Who cares where the terrorists came from. We are not going out and attack every country that has a terrorist living there. They're here too. Every one has a solution. I like to think that our president and his EXPERTS have the right one!

I guess we should all give up and let the terrorists win because fighting a war is hard work. Gosh! Hopefully the military and our government has more resolve than most of the cream puff, soft Americans who want to roll over, play dead, and hope the enemy leaves us alone.

One of the reasons Russia lost in Afghanistan is because America provbided funds and weapons to those fighting against them. In other words, America helped, once again, to create the problem that American soldiers must fight to solvbe.

It was the same in Iraq where America provided Saddham with the weapons he used against his own people. The shortsighted foreign policy of the past must be changed with a more global, intelligent understanding.

Thank goodness we havbe a president with a team that presents and listens to all prespectives. Funny how Republican trolls are now turning against Gates and Patraeus who they once hailed as heroes.

The Pres is doing exactly what he promised during the campaign: end the war of choice in Iraq, and finish the war of necessity in Afghanistan/Pakistan- by using military force AND turning the afghan/pakistani people against the terrorists seeking save havens in their countries.

No, what the Manchurian has is his chance to destroy the U.S. military. He, CNN, and the the other fascists in the Democrat Party are going to the play this Afghan thing in such a manner that it discredits the military and then destroys it. That is why so many of us believe that the Manchurian and CNN are treasonous in their activities.

swin5: Your right and it was not just the russinas. So far there has been no invader that successfully ruled over Afghanistan peacefully. And yes they were Saudi Arabians. However, my question is are we in the wrong place? I mean Iraq was for oil. However, Afghainstan does not have many natural resources. Is this just another somlia conflict? The government says it is a fight for Afghan freedom, but does it really matter? Do most Americans really care about whether or not Afghans get freedom when there are many other natinos that do not ahve freedom?

Iraq was a mistake. Afghanistan is just it is the interest of the entire world to defeat these murderers. Whoever thinks we should give up is as naive as the people who started the Iraq war.

this is bully against our long time allies we need mor frind not enyme

as long as we're depending on our so called ally Pakistan to clear out the taliban/al quaida bases in their country and we just use drones instead of B52s and B2s, our enemies will have safe bases of operations to train, re-arm, regroup, and plan attacks on US GIs.

It's time to tell Pakistan to get our enemies out of their country or we'll do it for them.

LBJ made the mistake in Vietnam to not fully go after our enemies wherever they were, and Obama is making the same mistake.

One of the questions needed to be asked or to have the guts to be confronted with is in order for someone to want to do terroristic harm, is there a reason? Is there something someone's doing to someone or is there a grotesque structural defect somewhere that is assisting the build up of heated bad blood? In order for a fanatic to direct efforts in a certain area there has to be a reason or reasons. The flaw may be somewhere else and can possibly be corrected without costing more innocent lives. No matter how you look at, it does pose a danger to many at any given moment.

Thank you for saying all that. I do not think our current president has a clue as to what kind of threat this country poses for the USA. He does not have the ecperience nor knowhow to plan a stragedy let alone excute one. He is all for a "let be buddies" over a few drinks. tha is his mentality and I do not forsee it changinf since he is well into his age when "CHANGE " could have been made.

Dennis,
Apparently you did not pay attention to Pres Obama's campaign. He stated many times over that our emphasis should be in Afghanistan not Iraq. He also said that as President He would send troops to Afghanistan to go after AlQueida and those that would do harm to our country.
I supported him for Preisdent and I am glad for all the work that he has done so far in that role because he has followed up on what he has said!

And where is the direct threat in Afghanistan??? Some old man hiding in a cave on a kidnet dialysis machine? You can murder as many people as you want in Afghanistan and it will NEVER remove the threat of terrorism by doing it. Terrorists are NOT in any one place. Amazing how many supposedly intelligent officials get up there and spout this crap as if there's any logic behind it.

President Obama never said he would NOT send troops to Afghanistan/Pakistan... he has always said... we need to finish what was started there.. and not loose sight of why that war was started...

if I am not mistaken

At this time, it is probably a good idea to prove competencies in simply managing the flow of drugs north and flow of arms south of border instead of starting another game 10,000 miles away. Folks, we are already on borrowed resources.

Any comparison of Afghanistan to Vietnam is merely hysteria to my mind. The two wars are dramatically different in their cause, geography and goals. Unlike Vietnam, the U.S. was directly attacked by Afghanistan (or at least forces inside Afghanistan protected by the Taliban, which is a close equivalent).

These same forces and the Taliban are reconstituting themselves. To turn our backs on this situation would be like allowing the Nazis back into Germany in 1950.

dennis

You need to learn your facts. Before the election Obama never said he would not send troops overseas. Matter if fact he said the opposite.

He said he would end the war in Iraq and add more troops to Afghanistan to go after the people who attacked us on 9-11.

So who lies? You or Obama?

Ask the British and the Russians about Afghanistan. It is where empires go to die.

Can't we just ask John McCain how to get Bin Laden?

Well, did you expect this guy to say anything different? Of course he's going to defend our presence in Afghanistan, and who knows where next.

No country (in modern times) has conquered or won a war in Afghanistan. Just ask the Russians, for a start. More lives will be lost.

Larry B and swin5, the difference with this war, unlike Russia's war to conquer Afghanistan, is that we are actually helping Afghans to defeat the taliban and al qaeda.

The fearful and the unbelieving will not enter heaven.

I love this! Now the Republicans here are against war and the Democrats are for it. You are all just a bunch of sheep to who ever is sitting in the oval office. PATHETIC! And now I'm sure all I'll see on CNN is how good the war is going and on FOX how bad it's going.

Anyone with any sense at all would realize that historical references are for "learning and leaning". You look at the facts, the failings and successes of history, compare them to where we are now, then make a NEW decision. The point is that nothing is as simple as the naysayers and critics claim them to be. Whether he ends up right or wrong, the important thing is that Obama gathered a great deal of facts, took in a great deal of opinion and advise, then made the best, weighted decision he could. If he hadn't done all that, he could have easily just followed the politics and bailed on Afghanistan.

This is a whole new game. Its not a vietnam and its certainly not a continuation of the Bush policies.

I'm impressed with the Obama strategy of more civilian aid while we
win the war! Let's call it "winning hearts and minds"

Perhaps a visit to Letterman this time and we can sell it with a town hall or online meeting...

change we can believe in.........

To Jeff @ 11:58 AM. Totally moronic of you. The lack of any effective Afgan Government in gave the Taliban and their Saudi friends a place to train and hide. These Tribal people living in the 10th century need to leave the USA alone or DIE. Any questions, moron ???

To Shawn @ 1154 am ET:

You mean like those that were cheering for Iraq to fail just because of politics? That was sickening, too...

I heard time after time in his campaign that he will not send any more troops over seas and what is he doing, going back on yet another thing that he said he was not going to do. Yet the taxpayer is going to get it in the end. Lies lies lies....

Why does everything have to have a label?
This is NOT Vietnam. Period!
Get over the nonsense and get over the past...these wars will be over soon.

The UN needs to arrest Obama for warcrimes for bombing Pakistan they didn't attack us during 9/11

I am a Republican, normally critical of this president. However moving aggresively in Pakistan is the right thing to do! I support him in this effort not because I believe in BI-PARTISANSHIP (it is an oxymoron, why would we need two parties in that case?) but because I believe some issues are NON-PARTISAN.

Beg to differ, but Afghanistan will be the equivalent of Vietnam in American body bags if we continue a troop surge. When the Russians fought in Afghanistan for 10 bloody years, they had a big advantage over the US current position, as the Russians had next door land access for its troops and armor. The Russians fought with 100,000 troops for over 10 years before they realized they could not win. The US will find itself in the same situation, or worse. Why is Afghainstan exactly like Vietnam? Because the enemy is embedded in the very fabric of the country. They are everywhere, not just in the Pakistani border region. The heroin profits fund the Taliban, the tribal war lords, the corrupt Afghan government, and Osama Bin Laden and Al Quaeda. It is the economic engine that makes this diverse group "partners" and unwilling to turn on each other. And let us not forget that Osama Bin Laden is the heroic Afghan freedonm fighter that liberated the country when he defeated the Russians ... of course, back then the US and Osama Bin Laden were allies.

The US has no achievable end goal in Afghanistan, unless you call having 100,000 US troops constantly in harm's way for the next 50 years. No, Afghanistan is a bottomless pit of US lives, and we can achieve no heroic or meaningful victory there.

oh man,
God give these guys wisdom.
I did not vote for Obama, I don't agree with most of his social agenda.
But if his intentions are to keep out country secure, God Speed.

I'm Thai living in Brazil.Actually am a nationalized Brazillian.Was born in Bankok, 194o,I know quite a bit about a Vietnam war. I was working in Korat, a northeastern province in Thailand where ,at that time, was the US Air Base.I worked there from 1965 to 1968.The uncliamed Vietnam war was at its peak.Then I left Thailand to work on my Ms. and Ph.D in the US. I had an opportunity to visit this very airbase.
I agree with Holbrook. and your President that thinks , however I wish you guys talk less and act more .JUST DO IT.Be very diplomat with The Pakistanian governent and its people till they are on your sideand let the US and allies troop get in their land to set out the us base.Just act DONT BOAST OR BRAG neither ARROGANT.just do it.

Obama has articulated the mission in Afghanistan very clearly, and it is focused and realistic. Vietnam (like Iraq) was a war of choice, based on paranoia and delusional ideology, with no realistic objective. Afghanistan is a just war that we were forced into. It has much more international cooperation and support. The two are nothing alike.

But look for anti-Obama, anti-American Republicans to cheer for America's failure. The Taliban, al Qaeda and Republicans: all brothers in their anti-American extremism and desire for America to fail. It's sickening.

This administration had no honeymoon period like previous administration.............Obama has been criticized before he took the oath of office and there is a certain unfairness to all of this. Those who call this strategy or support to continue the war in Afghanistan like vietnam is hoping Obama fail in his efforts. And I say why not wait and see before injecting our failures on the president. This is not 1960's and we need to keep things in perspective and hold our tongues until more information becomes available.

I agree with Emit R Detsaw. All the information is out there and now, the bloggers and analysts have become like the National Enquirer coming p with innuendos to solicit interest.

It's time to bring our troops home. We have accomplished punishing the people responsible for 9/11 and justice has been served. I'm not into nation building. The Arabs have very different ways and customs from us, you cannot change them all.

President Obama–PLEASE bring our men and women home and please stop giving our hard earned money to the Arabs–enough already!!

People, What is the alternative. If you leave Afghanistan then whole region and world be in trouble. It will be the defeat of morden world by medival region and Islamic Harliners will be emboldened every where.

O'bama is doing right thing by keeping Pakistan in the picture.
Terrorism can be only be defeated, if you defeat them psychologically. It will be emblodened, if you flight from actual war.

U. S. as a world leader has huge obligation to win this war and everybody, including Russia,China , Europe and pacific asian countries should join in this effort.

folks there is a world of difference here, but some of the most glaring

- potential compromise of nuke weapons involved, did not have that in the Vietnam war

the above is important as there is no way we can ever let Pakistan nukes be compromised. We and the surrounding countries. I about 100% sure India will not allow that to happen and as China and Russia are close I doubt they'd be thrilled with those nukes in unfriendly hands.

- someone else said it "3,000" people killed on American soil, did not have that in the Vietnam war

- American weapons (Predator, etc) and tactics much better than Vietnam

********MOST IMPORTANTLY******

- the goal has been significantly reduced from "Nation building" to "disrupting, disabling and defeating the goons that attacked us and continue to plan attacks against us and the rest of the world

ib "I feel like this president is putting this country in greater danger of another attack and I still can't get over the fact that they are talking about releasing Gitmo detainees in the US."
---------------
Typical fear loving republican talking points, can you please provide sources as to "who" is talking about this? Didn't think so. Keep in mind that after WWII many Nazi prisoners were kept in American prisons, USDB at Fort Leavenworth comes to mind.

I find it ironic how when ever the US experiences a transient national crisis or and extended national crisis that we always compare the current situations to past situations, even when substantial differences are visible. Such as the current economic recession to the Great Depression, of course both time periods experienced abominable pressures but the Great depression is nothing like the current situation. The magnitude was much worse back then if one does a comprehensive CPI test. Similar with Vietnam, current situations are completely different than situations in Afghanistan due to different tactics and values. Back in Vietnam, current situations from the S Vietnamese were atrocious but current situations in Afghanistan aren't as bad. Come on when have we heard something in drastic in the news about Afghanistan in the last few months. Afghanistan poses a long term threat when Vietnam didn't. Situations are just different and the media truly shouldn't bring up connections when ever the differences are extremely visible.

As long as we can make money having wars,we will find people to have them with.

3ID wrote.. 'Has anyone who is posting stuff in here actually been over to the middle east?'

I Lived in Riyadh for nearly 8 years and if you believe the Saudis are truly our allies, than you are as naive as our politicans. While they might speak out against terrorism, under the table they're funding it.

I cannot see any difference between the projected continuation of the Bush policy and this one. I, suprisingly, applaud the administration for this. However, the loony left must be spinning (and plotting).

i think bill's been down on the bayou too long. first of all, bill, this fight in afghanistan is the ONLY war that should have been fought in the past 8 years. the fact that obama is there, is because the previous adminstration of idiots did NOT do their job. the people behind 9/11 and their training sites, and those planning the next attacks, have always been in afghanistan, and now pakistan. iraq was the waste of time that people complained about regarding the bush idiots. no one in the entire world said there wasn't a war to be fought. that war was with bin laden. holbrooke's being honest. vietnam was stupid. afghanistan is necessary. and, bill, you're actually the idiot.

Mr. President you have tallked too much before knowing all the fact

Now we have obamas war, for eight years there was screams of bush and Cheney the "murdering war criminals." sending our "boys" to be killed.

Where are the same complaints today? has there been some special despensation issued that "thow shalt not bsah the obama-biden bunch?

And Holbrook, another frigging idiot.

35% of Americans want US to fail???...the person who wrote that needs context and to stay in school...during the Bush years (specifically 2006, during the height of the war) that number was 51% amongst Dems...so do not be so quick with your "Hypocrisy" label...save it for your high school teacher that may admire your attempts at discourse. I also do not recall any American of prominence wishing harm on our troops...even HArry "The war isLost" Reid has stopped bashing the troops.....btw, the wish for failure is attributed to the 10 trillion of debt Obama is trying to push us into...the only backinghe received (in Europe and Asia...so don't blame the criticism on Limbaugh) was from the leader of the Socialist Party.

Poor blogger, ignorance is thy bane

For people that think Obama can just take office and pull out of war are naive. It takes time. I am strongly opposed to the war, but i realize that we can't just pull out in a matter of days.

I said a year ago that Iraq was another Vietnam. There is no cause, millions of dollars are being flushed, and we are never going to win. Just like in Vietnam, these people have nothing more to live for. They will fight to the death.

Blah Blah Blah,,,, where have we hear this all before...

My concern is that we will be bogged down trying to build Afghanistan into a viable nation. It's not, never has been and likely never will be.

Personally I think we should pull back and constantly patrol the area with drones. Anytime someone we deem a threat sticks his head out blow it off. Let the tribes in that area fight it out over everything else, as long as we keep an eye on them and don't allow them to become a threat to us.

It may be a totally different scenario and a totally different culture. However, just because the situation is different does not, by default, make it a good thing. Instead of nation building, may be it would be a lot cheaper and easier to increase restrictions on people entering our borders. I've never bought the justification given by the Bush administration that "we have to fight them over there or they'll be attacking us over here."

The reason 9-11 happened was because the restrictions for entering this country are far to laxed. We allowed the 9-11 highjackers into this country so they could go to aviation school even though there were perfectly adequate aviation schools in their own country. It made no sense. There is a lot that we can do to keep terrorists out of our country by having more secure borders and stricter criteria for entering the country.

You are missing the point of the are being an endless war with millions of dollars being spent which could be put to better use here to help our country. When will our goverrnment bring the troops home, promises, promises, all OBAMA empty promises. To be honest, as a former Democrat and parent of military members, I do not trust our government, the OBAMA administration or any so called experts. Don't spread the fear tactics, give us the truth, and get out of countries where they have been fighting for years and our involvement will never change that fact, just more loss of lives!

Killing Osama will not make any difference. There are many others to take over and the more dangerous would be his second in command who has eluded justice for 30 years.
The only similarities between Vietnam and our current war is the lack of support and backbone of the american people. We have become a very week nation....one that only worries about our comforts. Did Vietnam make any world impact? The War College (and I agree with them looking at history) believes it was responsible for stopping the Russian advancement and communism. The last several years prove that Russia is returning to its old ways internally as well as internationally such as possible bomber base on Cuba. Will Obama recognize this before it is too late? Do I want Gitmo prisoners released particularly in this country....NO. They are ENEMY COMBATANTS.....our enemies captured in combat. I have been to many funerals of men who they killed. Get real america, they won't change and will be back to get us in this country.

Now that President Obama is sending more troops to Afghanistan, isn't it ironic now that the republicans in Washington and their supporters around the country are the party of "cut and run"? I don't like our troops to be referred to as a paper tiger. They would be behind Bush 100% if he was the one making this move. Hopefully if Bin Laden wants to use that term paper tiger again, he will direct it towards the repubs of the U.S. I don't want this country revert back to being a safe haven for terrorists to conduct their training and launching attacks from, and the Taliban to take control again brutilizing women and girls. Besides Pakistan has nukes, and god forbid if Al Qaida gets their hands on them.

Why would they attack us now? They already destroyed us (economically) by suckering Bush into a no win religious war in Iraq. Maybe if we stop killing their kids they will stop hating us. Just a thought...

Has anyone who is posting stuff in here actually been over to the middle east?

Why the hell is this even a title, CNN? Did the Vietnamese kill 3000 innocent Americans that couldn’t defend themselves? No. Afghanistan was where this war started and it’s going to be where it ends. This title is and should be offensive to every American.

It never ceases to shock me how spoiled and selfish Americans are. You want all the wonderful thing life offers but don't want to pay for them. Grow up Americans and be thankful we have an intelligent man in the white house now. Stop wanting the GOVERMENT to baby you every time you fall down. GROW UP PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Holbrooke's "direct threat" rationale needs to be investigated for accuracy. Yes, eight years ago al Qaeda operated in Afghanistan at full strength as they planned and executed the 9/11 attack. But now the ranks of that organization in Afghanistan seem to have been depleted to very few, if any at all. Do we need 50,000 troops armed with bags and bags of money to root out what might simply be a motley crew of has-beens? The government is engaged in lying to continue waging a war it lost in 2003. Let's not blindly follow Holbrooke's myth without verification of every detail he uses to justify paying to continue this war.

Where to begin:

1) The war on terror should have always been against Bin Laden and his band of cowards, but Bush wanted to be distracted by Iraq.

2) The Russians were defeated and driven out of Afghanistan because it was during the Cold War and the USA was funding the Taliban and furnishing them with weapons and intel.

3) Obama promised to set a time table to get our troops out of Iraq and to go after Bin Laden, even if that meant having to go into Pakistan. He is doing exactly what he said he would do.

A lot of people listen to the news media for their source of information and the news media has become nothing more that an expanded version of the National Enquire.

The facts are out there if you want them, but looking at history and doing real research is too time consuming for most folks. Short attention span theater at it again.

EVERY war (including the cover and brush fire and all the other martial actions) the US has conducted since WWII has been a war based on the politics of fear, and a war initiated on behalf of the insatiable economy of greed. Meanwhile, we ordinary citizens act as if we cannot shake our denial of these fundamental, historically demonstrated facts. It is our denial that will destroy us. Al Queda could not have even come close to 9/11 but for the bureaucratic scurryings that ignored known intelligence. While it is true the republicans let 9/11 happen out of bizarre distractedness, it is foolish to suppose the democrats would have done better just because they are democrats.

How long will we let ourselves be distracted by corporate propaganda machinery instead of getting oriented with a little help from our neighbors and friends and librarians right where we live?

Obama is seeing what Bush saw and suddenly his campaign rhetoric looks silly. His supporters ought to be livid b/c he sold them down the river, and has been doing so since 1/20/09. As a moderate conservative I love what he's doing on the Nat'l Security front. BTW, where are the code pink folks and their "War Criminal" crowds?

Obama doesn't have another Viet Nam – he is going to make one. He is going to make the same mistake and not put enough of our troops over there. Either do it right or don't do it at all!!!

Clamp down on the Saudi funding of the Taliban and we just might get somewhere. Also have anyone ever wonder how a poor country like Pakistan came up with the billions to develop their nuclear arsenal? Someone ought to follow the money trail which will probaby lead right back to Riyadh.

It is now clear. Obama is following the exact same policy in Iraq and Afghanistan as Bush would have. The only difference is that Obama is widening the war into Pakistan. Johnson did the same thing widening the Vietnam War into Laos and Cambodia.

This is all about "positioning" for the coming battle against Pakistan.Radicals will soon takeover that country and have their hands on the big red button.

Short answer is that Afghanistan does not equal Vietnam. But, it is getting closer every day and may eventually get there.

And as far as the example above that we couldn't go into half of Vietnam...if you think of the hard reality that Pakistan and Afghanistan are a dual headed problem...that statement becomes much less true.

Michael
Vietnam was about oil too!

Everyone just remember one important fact... President Obama is not a low I.Q. moron on a religious crusade. We now have a president that thinks. So, lets tone down the negative rhetoric a little and give our president a chance.

I am seeing the 'change you can believe in' and am proud you are our pres

these groups in Afgan and Pakistan need to be found and dealt with, harshly

you are doing a fine job, you have our thanks

If the U.S. had concentrated UNIQUELY on wiping out extremists and safe havens in Afghanistan since 2001, Mullah Omar, Bin Laden and all their croonies would be long gone (dead) or in prison.

It isn't too late to go after them, and more seriously this time.

Afghanistan is far different than vietnam. though i wasnt born till way after vietnam, from what i understand from studying about it was that it was a useless war we didnt need to go to and had many chances to leave but the central government were too stubborn to come to a truce without a total unconditional surrender from North vietnam. plus politic were too involved in messing up the war making it go nowhere and developing more problems at the same time.

I dont know who was polled about afghanistan comparing it to veitnamn, if anything that would be Iraq. We had no searious reason to go there yet we did and politicians messed it all up, costly war, bbut at least some progress made at huge cost financially and great casualties though not as great as vietnam. Like we took out resourses from afghanistan before we finished it to fight bush's stupid war in iraq and the taliban reemerged there and more problems redeveloped. Our last administration made a terrible mess of things which our new one needs to fix

I am okay with defeating the Taliban and Al Queda in Afganistan. After all, even though the 9/11 attackers were of Saudi oriigin theirs was an attack on civilized countries including Saudi Arabia. They should have been delt with by Bush & Co, and might have been were the mission not diverted towards Iraq.

I thinl the best way to keep this from becoming like Vietnam is to learn the lesson.

Obama should take his case to congress and ask for a full Declaration of War and he should approach our allies to doe the same. A real war against the Taliban. Not some "action" or excursion. A real one with War bonds and everything.

BTW, Iraq was really invaded because certain people thought that they would be able to get their hands on all of Iraq's oil AND it would help pay for Americas presents there.. HHHmmmm?
Never happened.........

What is our exit strategy from Afghanistan? If there isn't one, its time to leave.

What is our exit strategy from Iraq? If there isn't one, it's time to leave.

We were supposed to be out of Iraq already or at least have set a time table for a pull out. I voted for Obama over the Libertarians because Obama beat the anti-war drum through his entire campaign, and now he ends up as just another Bush.

What happened? The same lobbyists that bribed Bush to put us in there are the same lobbyists bribing Obama to keep us there is what happened.

how can we win, when we fund the enemy, through the drug trade and our addiction to oil? who cares ? obama would just rather make a big joke about the prohibition question, and ridicule those who participated in his online townhall. he is not the 'PRAGMATIST' he claims to be. where is the common sense on this question?

it is in similar in that politicians still screw it up...we left Vietnam then millions were slaughtered across the region. Then Hollywood makes a movie about it (The Killing Fields) and gives itself an Oscar...the hypocrisy is astounding...but if they didn't have double-standards they would have no standards at all...

Obama criticized Bush for having no exit strategy in Iraq-yet here is Obama doing the same thing-sending moe troops to Afghanistan with no announced exit strategy--

This is not change we can believe in--

Remember how Obama promised a tax cut for 95% of Americans--we got $ 8 a week-–how come you never asked him about the amount-what a joke-is $ 8 a week the change I can believe in????

Randy; I agree with you 100%. People are also forgetting that everyone thought Iraq had WMD's even Clinton. Bush did what he thought was right at the time which proved out to be wrong. I don't like what I'm seeing from Obama; I feel like this president is putting this country in greater danger of another attack and I still can't get over the fact that they are talking about releasing Gitmo detainees in the US.

Huge difference in the fact that our country was attacked in a Pearl Harbor-like manner by people trained and financed in Afghanistan. We 'lost' Vietnam when the American people abandoned the fight, not because our troops ever lost on the battlefield. As long as the traitorous peaceniks don't use their lies to brainwash the American public, we will win. The real battle is for public opinion.

If Osama Bin Laden family weren't Saudi Arabian OIL MONEY FRIENDS to the Bush family we would have gotten him long ago. Remember when Bush let Osama's Family leave the country after 911. An OUTRAGE! Then to make people think he was doing something about 911, he had the nerve to go into Iraq after "terrorist & WMD's" when we should have been going after Bin Laden! Iraq had nothing to do with 911 nor did they have and WMDS! Bush is responsible for letting him live this long.
Remember "Half of Vietnam, like Korea, was off-limits to allied troops." If American troops would have been allowed to do their job in BOTH wars (yes they were wars), North Korea wouldn't be the threat it is now and Vietnam would have been over sooner. I don't think we have a president who will say "stop here".
I agree with OUR President, hunt Osama DOWN AND KILL HIM!

It's impossible to win a war in Afghanistan. Can't we just learn the lesson the Russians did and save lives and $$$?

George Bush ignored the real problem (Afghanistan) for 7 years. And now the rest of us will have to clean up yet another of his messes.

Once again politicos and military brass are not interested in history! Happened in Viet Nam, the Balkans and now Iraq and Afganistan. There are many similarities between Viet Nam and Afganistan and Iraq and as such it sure would be nice if the " Deciders" would admit such and bring our armed forces men and women home where they belong. History too often neglected most certainly determines our future.

John Hart notes, "Half of Vietnam, like Korea, was off-limits to allied troops. Afghanistan has no such restrictions." Actually, half of Afghanistan is off-limits - it's called Pakistan. And yes, we're bombing there as we did in NVA, but not nearly as thoroughly.
The big comparison between the two is that they are both wars in which a major power is trying to stamp out an insurgency. Historically, this follows a long series of bad precedents, including the American Revolution.

The only way that either Iraq or Aghanistan becomes anything remotely like Vietnam is if the people of the United States forget that we are at war. Vietnam's biggest problem was that our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines did not have the support at home because either a) people were against the war and protested against it or b) people did not feel that it was all that important because it was never called a war (police action, conflict, interdiction, etc). People did not have to sacrifice (other than the service members and their families) so they did not believe we were at war. We now see the current administration wanting to change our outlook from the "Global War on Terrorism" and call it an "Overseas Contingency Operation." When we start making changes like this people will forget. When people forget that we are at war our service members lose support which will cause us to lose the war.

To all of you bashing President Obama because of Afghanistan, it was your ex-MORON-in-CHIEF that started that invasion years ago.

Just another case, much like the economy, where President Obama must now clean up the damage left by the imperialistic neo-cons and their "empire building" efforts.

I would also point out that while you may not support his domestic policies you should support the troops in this effort.

You may remember all the name-calling such as "traitor and treason" hurled against the Dems.

You are now doing the same thing, hypocrisy thy name is republican!

Not that he really knows who killed Benazir Bhutto....

I can understand why Obama wants to do something constructive in Afghanistan, but I think it's a fool's errand and that we'd be better off spending the money on things other than a military campaign. The whole project of fighting al Qaeda with unmanned drone aerial vehicles is just too sci-fi, and it's bound to generate limitless resentment among the locals who stand to lose innocent loved ones right and left.

If Mr. Holbrooke spent three and a half years in Nam he was sitting behind a desk! All wars are similar, people die. As usual there's to much politics involed again. Either do the job right or go home. By the way, where's Bin Laden???

Beside that in VIETNAM the US defeated themselves by the subversive action of the US left, the same which compare any action they do not like with Vietnam, they blissfully ignore another two fundamental facts:

1) In VIETNAM the majority of its people supported the insurgents

2) They were actively supported by Russia and for some times, by China

ahhh, I see the now getting old repub slogan is still at work, you know that one, "Divide to conquer"..and we the people are getting more divided every day, question is now, WHO will actually be the one to conquer?..there is no way afhganistan is remotely like viet Nam..it IS in our best interests to follow Pres Obamas plan to go back in there, finish what the Bush administration started..I am still concerned about bush's personal dealings with Osama and think that should be investigated fully..hmm, is it possible Bush himself was involved with 911 ???????

Pakistan poses a threat to the US in that we don't have the right leader in there, and they have nuclear weapons. Benazir Bhutto wasn't playing ball with the US, and she paid the price for it. The Taleban pose a threat to the CIA in the Opium trade. Can't have that.
As for Afghanistan being another Vietnam, it may well be. But then again, there's those jobs Obama promised (conscription)...God help us all.

While the majority of terrorists participating in the 9/11 attacks may have originated from Saudi Arabia, the planning and financing began in Afghanistan. Also, the Soviets initially employed reservist troops, not front line forces like those stationed in East Germany at the time. Further, the Soviets were intent on full occupation of the country. The U.S. Armed Forces don't deploy mines designed to look like toys that blow off the fingers and hands of children. The Soviet/Afghan issue was quite different.
Time will tell, but this is no Viet Nam, not by a long way.

Afghanistan is and was ground zero. This is where the real war should have been fought and we should have not let up until we capture or kill all those responsible for 9/11; this includes Osama Bin Laden.

Geroge Bush thought there was no need to see this war to it's completion; rather, why should he when Iraq proved more interesting and may have provided access to it's vast oil reserves.

Bush made stupid mistakes and Americans will suffer for those mistakes. Make no bones about it; his daughters were never and will never join the fight and will not be harmed in any way.

I tend to wonder if Bush and Osama are friends or is it that because Osama is from Saudi Arabia and he Bush are friends with the Saudi's?

Why would he allow Osama to go free so that he and his minions can plan future attacks? This is an amazing question and the answer will not come easy but those responsible and their friends need to be eliminated.

The only reason we went into Iraq is because Bush was seeking vengeance for Saddam trying to kill the senior Bush. That is the only reason and I wish America would recognize that fact. Bush should be charged and held accountable for his war crimes. Along with Cheney and Rumsfeld. We were duped into going into Irag by non existent weapons of mass destruction. I can still remember Bush saying, "Sadaam tried to kill my daddy." Something really needs to be done because this crime should not be overlooked.

Americans see that 1) Poppies continue to be the industry in Afghanistan dispite our presence and 2) Al Queda seems to be more present in Pakistan..the combination of perceptions lead to a conclusion that does not merit support until we see real progress against enemies and unacceptable circumstances...burn the poppy fields and capture Bin Laden...no excuses

BHO promised to withdraw all troops from Iraq then goes all in in Afghanistan. Not a good thing.

We will never find Usama Bin Laden. With all the technology and intel we have not succeeded in 8 years. You cannot find a ghost that the peoples and governments of Pakistan and Afgahanistan harbor and protect. All the Afghanistan wants is to line its pockets with the money that Obama is giving them and pave the streets with American troops blood.

Ooo The President doesn't like it when a war is compared to Vietnam? That's news to me.

It is a very good question, whether Afghanistan is another Vietnam. If only that question had been asked seven years ago when it would have been more useful.

People who think Afghanistan is in any way comparable to Vietnam display an appalling misunderstanding of history. Here is one difference, amongst the hundred or so others there are. Half of Vietnam, like Korea, was off-limits to allied troops. Afghanistan has no such restrictions.
So, geriatric hippies; keep your old guitars in their cases, go sing Kumbaya to your pet cat, there will be no need for it in the streets today.

Yes. 9/11 must have a closure. We should deal with this problem long time ago. Unfortunately, Bush falied to do this. Actually Iraq is more like Vietnam.

We need to use a carrot and stick with the Taliban: hand over Bin laden and Al Qaida, and allow foreign assistance to turn opium production into agricultural production, or we will aggressively seek the elimination of both, Al Qaida and the Taliban.

The difference between this war and Bush's war is that this will have an objective, resources and a will to succeed.

Weren't the majority of the 9/11 terrorists from Saudi Arabia and not Afghanistan? Also, if the Russians, with one of the finest armies on the planet, could not win in Afghanistan, and the country was right at their doorstep, then how can we, a half a planet away, think we can?